One Less Loud
by GroverFan
Summary: One faithful day something happens at school which affects both Lynn and Lincoln. (Co-writer: WJ ) (Editor: MrTyeDye.)
1. Chapter 1

It was a cold January morning on a Friday. It seemed like any other normal day at first, but little did anyone know that the events that occurred this day would change the lives of everyone involved. Lynn had started the day in a sour mood, as she awoke to find her soccer ball popped and immediately suspected Lincoln of being responsible.

"Lincoln, did you give my soccer ball to Charles?" she demanded, storming into his room.

"No, I didn't Lynn! I swear!" he cried.

Lynn grasped Lincoln by his shoulders and started yelling right in his face.

"My soccer ball is popped! Now I won't be able to practice soccer at home and I won't be number one! Tell me the truth now, Lincoln!"

Lincoln sighed defeated. "Alright, I'll tell you the truth. I did give your ball to Charles. I was bored yesterday so I decided to play fetch with him using your soccer ball. I am so sorry and I'll pay for a new soccer ball."

Lynn, predictably, didn't take his confession well. "You better pay for a new soccer ball by tonight or else I'll kick your butt!" snapped Lynn.

Suddenly, all traces of meekness vanished from Lincoln's face. "What will you do, pants me like you did that one time?" he asked. "Jeez, I'm so scared."

"Oh laugh it up, Lincoln! At least I don't wear dorky boxers!"

"No, but you _do_ wear my tighty whities!" retorted Lincoln.

"Funny, because even though I wear briefs, at least I don't sleep with a plush bunny," said Lynn.

"Hey, you _do_ know that you gave me Bun-Bun, right?" asked Lincoln.

Lynn shook her head. "My biggest regret," she said. "I didn't think you'd be clinging onto it for this long. You're twelve. Grow up already!"

Lincoln swatted Lynn's hands off of his shoulders and pushed her away. "You know what? I'm _not_ going to buy you that soccer ball after all. Go buy your own soccer ball, you big baby. Now get out of my room!"

Lynn stood her ground, crossing her arms. "I'm not leaving until you say that you will buy me that soccer ball."

"GET OUT!" yelled Lincoln, jabbing his finger towards the door. When Lynn didn't respond, Lincoln grabbed her by the torso, shoved her out of his room and slammed the door behind her.

"What a big crybaby," muttered Lynn.

"I heard that!" called Lincoln.

"Good."

After the big fight she had with Lincoln, Lynn angrily got ready for the day. She didn't help anyone, speak to anyone, or make contact with anyone - or, at least, she tried not to. Luna soon noticed what was wrong with Lynn and, being the caring big sister that she was, tried to help.

"What's wrong, sis?" she asked, greeting Lynn in the middle of the hallway.

"I'd rather not talk about it, Luna," said Lynn.

Luna gave her an apprehensive look. "Okay, but if you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you."

Yeah, alright Luna," Lynn said with a roll of her eyes.

After the conversation with Luna, Lynn got ready for the morning. She hopped in the shower, ate breakfast, and got into Vanzilla with Lincoln all within a span of fifteen minutes. Lynn tried not to make any contact with Lincoln whatsoever, but Lincoln wasn't going to make that easy for her.

So, Lynn, how did you take the loss last night?" he sneered, bringing up a narrow loss her football team suffered the night before. "Like a real sports player, or your way?"

"Can you please stop bugging me?" snapped Lynn. "Like, now?"

Lincoln, unfortunately, did not. "You'll never be the person your father is!"

But that was more than their mother, Rita, was willing to tolerate. "Lincoln and Lynn! Get your act together or I'm pulling over this car!"

"But Lynn started it, mom!" protested Lincoln!

"I don't care who started it," said Rita. "I just want you two to behave like normal people. Can I not get a day with any of you fighting?"

"Sorry mom," muttered Lincoln. But his apology proved to be worthless a moment later, when he got right back to antagonizing Lynn.

"I hid your jockstrap," he whispered to her.

"YOU DID WHAT, LINCOLN?!" bellowed Lynn.

This prompted another intervention from Rita. "Lincoln and Lynn! What did I tell you about getting your act together?"

"But, mom!" cried Lynn. "Lincoln said he hid my jockstrap!"

"No, I didn't! And Lynn was the one who started this whole argument!"

At that point, Rita had reached the end of her patience. "That's it," she said, her tone getting sharp and snippy. "I'm pulling over right now."

"Please don't, mom!" cried Lincoln. "I'm begging you not to!"

"I have practice today and I don't want to be punished!" Lynn chimed in.

Rita sighed. "Alright, fine. But if I hear a word coming from either one of you two, I am pulling over this car immediately and you two will be late for school. Got it?"

"Okay mom," said Lincoln.

"Alright," said Lynn.

As Lynn and Lincoln arrived at Royal Woods Middle School, they looked at each other with a glare of anger and then moved on with their day. Both Lynn and Lincoln were still oblivious to the fact that this day would change their lives permanently.

At around 11:41 AM, a mysterious person entered the cafeteria, where Lynn was having lunch with Margo and Francisco. The person noticed Lynn and her friends sitting in the cafeteria and he walked up to them, armed with his 9mm pistol.

"How did the football game go last night, Lynn?" asked Margo.

"We lost, but only barely," said Lynn.

"What was the score?" asked Francisco.

"Four to five," said Lynn. "It was _really_ close," she added, as if she needed to clarify that.

"That's pretty good anyways, Lynn!" Margo said, chucking her friend on the shoulder. "Your team only lost by one point."

"Yeah, I did pretty good last night but I don't think I did my best," said Lynn.

"It's fine, Lynn," said Francisco. "You'll have other games. Speaking of which, I can't wait for our baseball game tonight!"

"Me neither!" said Lynn, cracking a smile.

The smile was short-lived, however, disappearing as soon as Lynn caught sight of the pistol-wielding person.

"Well, if it isn't Lynn Loud!" the person sneered.

"Wha… what are you do… doing, Brian?" asked Lynn, stumbling over her words. "Why are you hol… holding a gun?"

"To get revenge on everyone who has mistreated me and bullied me over the years!" said Brian. "Including you!"

Lynn, realizing that Brian was about to shoot her, made a desperate plea for her life.

"I am so sorry that I have bullied you before, Brian!" she cried, as tears filled her field of vision. "I have a mother, a father, and ten siblings who I love with all my heart, I have a lot of friends who enjoy my company, and I have a good future ahead of me! I beg you to spare my life and not shoot me! Please, Brian, please!"

Brian considered Lynn's request for a few seconds, before deciding to reject it entirely. Six deafening, ear-piercing cracks rang out in the cafeteria as he shot Lynn repeatedly in the legs, chest and head.

"Sorry is not enough, sister!" he snarled.

After Brian was finished shooting Lynn, he noticed Margo and Francisco running away from the cafeteria, and he shot at them as they ran off. Thankfully, however, none of the bullets hit either of them, and they rushed as fast as they could to the principal's office. Meanwhile, Lynn was spending her final moments laying down under the table, weakly yelling for help and sobbing uncontrollably. Knowing she would not make it alive, Lynn prayed and whispered one last thing to herself as she bleeds to death.

"I'm sorry, Lincoln…"


	2. Chapter 2

Within two minutes, she lost consciousness from blood loss, and shortly afterward, her brain shut down permanently. She was gone.

Meanwhile, at Principal Brauer's office, Margo and Francisco were frantically recounting what they just witnessed in the cafeteria.

"Principal Brauer, we...we... need to tell you something really… really... important!" said Margo panicking.

"What is it?" asked the principal.

"Brian Tanner brought a gun to school and he… he…"

Tears were pouring down her cheeks as she tried to muster up the strength to finish that sentence. "He… he shot Lynn!"

"It's true!" said Francisco. "He tried to shoot us, too!"

Principal Brauer gasped. "Thank… thank you for telling me," he said, trying to conceal the fear in his voice. "I'll issue a lockdown and call Mrs. Loud immediately."

"T-thank you, Principal Brauer," sobbed Margo.

Meanwhile, Lincoln was in class taking notes for a history test that was coming up the next day. Suddenly, an announcement was played over on the intercom.

"This is Principal Brauer. I am issuing a lockdown throughout the entire school. Somebody has just been shot in the cafeteria and the shooter is still at large."

Lincoln nearly choked upon hearing the news; his writing hand froze up, letting his pencil fall from his fingers and roll off his desk. He had all his nerves tensed up after hearing the announcement and the thought of losing his older sister took over his mind.

But he wasn't the only one to have that bombshell dropped on him. Rita was preparing the Novocain gas for a patient that was coming in the office later, when suddenly the phone rang. Rita sighed, walked over to the phone and picked it up.

"Hello, this is Dr. Feinstein's office, Rita speaking."

"Hello, Rita. This is Principal Brauer. I have some very grave news about your daughter, Lynn."

Rita's pupils shrunk into pinpricks, as she tightened her grip on the receiver. "What happened to Lynn?" she asked, hoping that she just got in a fight or failed a test.

"Your daughter Lynn was shot several times during lunch by one of her classmates," said Principal Brauer. "She failed to make it out alive. I am very, very sorry for your loss."

After Rita heard that, her heart sank like a pebble being thrown into a stream.

"I… will come soon as possible to pick up Lincoln, sir," she said, trying to hold in her emotions.

"No, please don't pick up your son until we get the shooter off of school grounds," said Brauer. "We don't want you or anyone else to get hurt. We'll call you when the shooter has been apprehended."

"O-okay, I understand," croaked Rita, her voice cracking. "Just… please. Do everything you can to keep him safe."

"I assure you that Lincoln will be safe while the shooter is in this school. I just issued a lockdown throughout the entire school before I called you."

"T…thank you for telling me that, Principal Brauer. I just don't want to lost ano… another…c- _child_!"

Rita couldn't hold herself together any longer. The thought of losing Lincoln _and_ Lynn broke her, and her constrained sniffles broke down into heavy sobs.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Loud. He is guaranteed to be safe. We'll see you soon."

 _Click_.

After Principle Brauer finished her call with Rita, Dr. Feinstein heard her crying from across the room, and rushed over to console her.

"Rita, what's wrong?" he asked. "You know you have a patient coming in about five minutes, right?"

"I know, I know," sobbed Rita. "But I-I just got a call from my daughter's principal. He said that… that…"

"That what?" asked Dr. Feinstein.

" _That my baby Lynn was shot dead!"_ she bawled, losing all her composure.

Dr. Feinstein placed a hand over his shocked, gaping mouth, having been rendered speechless by Rita's outburst. For two straight minutes, Rita's pained sobbing was the only sound that remained in the dentist's office.

"I… I'm sorry, Rita," Dr. Feinstein finally said. "Please take the all time you need in order to cope with the loss of your daughter."

"Alright, Dr. F-Feinstein," sobbed Rita.

"And you're free to go for the rest of the day. Just call me when you are ready to work again."

"Okay, I will," Rita said weakly.

After leaving work, Rita drove back home and went into her bedroom. There, she noticed a picture of her in the hospital holding a newborn Lynn wrapped in a red blanket, which made her let out all her emotions. Seeing the picture made Rita hurt inside, Rita was the person that always took care of Lynn's injuries no matter how big or small. So it hurt tensely she lost a daughter.


	3. Chapter 3

Rita then noticed that Lynn Sr. was calling her on her phone. After putting the photo down and wiping her face dry, she picked it up.

"Rita, it's Lynn," he choked out, sounding just as distraught as she was. "I just got a call from Principal Brauer. He said that-"

"I know," interrupted Rita. "He told me, too. I'm just praying that they stop that shooter soon. I don't want to lose another one of my babies!"

"I hope so too," Lynn Sr. said weakly. "I've just been told by my boss that I can leave work early today and I'm off for the rest of the month. I'm on my way home right now."

Back at the middle school, Lincoln was hiding under his desk, wracked with guilt over the way he mistreated Lynn that morning. As much as he wanted to cry, however, he held back his tears because he didn't want to be noticed by the shooter.

Meanwhile in the hallway, Brian was approaching his next victim, a seventh grade boy by the name of Jason Richards. Jason often picked on Brian for always failing to make it on any sports teams. Jason was on his way to the library when he heard the lockdown. He wanted to run back to the library but he felt it was better to walk because he didn't want to risk getting noticed by the shooter.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened.

"Well, look who we have here," said Brian. "Jason Richards."

Jason turned white as a sheet. "Wha… what are you doing with that gun, Brian?"

"Vengeance," Brian said flatly, cocking the gun. Jason whipped himself around and tried to run away.

"Oh goody, another runner!" Brian said with a cackle.

Brian shot at Jason a total of seven times, with three shots hitting Jason. Fortunately, all of them missed his vital organs, and Jason was able to muster up just enough energy to limp his way to the nurse's office. Brian was about to pursue him, when he heard footsteps of several police officers walking nearby looking for him.

"Oh, crap," he hissed under his breath.

Brian proceeded to duck into the staff restroom, where he reloaded and cocked his gun.

"Alright, I only have two more shots left," he said to himself. "I can't waste them."

Brian waited his next victim in the bathroom as the police encountered an injured, bleeding Jason crawling on the floor. The police immediately run over towards him and they start sending in help.

"I found a victim!" one officer called out. "He's alive, but he's badly hurt!"

Jason craned his neck up to meet the officer's eyes. "I-it just h-happened a minute ago," he croaked. "I think… I think he's hiding in the bathroom."

"Thank you for telling us," said a second officer, joining the first one's side. "And hang in there. We'll call you an ambulance right away."

"T…thank you," wheezed Jason. "But please… hurry…"

Meanwhile, Brian was really panicking in the bathroom when he heard more and more commotion throughout the hallway. He assumed that the police were about to enter the bathroom, so he started to think about what to do.

"Shit, shit, shit! What do I do?"

Brian looked down at his gun, and thought of one last attempt to escape. He Brian began sneaking out of the bathroom and once he thought that none of the officers in the school could hear him, he made a mad dash for the school entrance. However, before he could make it, another officer cut him off.

"Freeze!" hollered the officer, pointing a gun of his own at the shooter. "Drop your weapon immediately!"

As far as Brian was concerned, there was only one way out of his predicament. He cocked the gun, pointed it at his head, and before the officer could even try to talk him down, he shot himself.

"Oh my god," the officer yelled. "I can't believe he did that."

"We know who the killer is," said the third officer. "He shot himself right next to where I am."

"Case solved," said the first officer. "And the ambulance is on its way; it'll be here within the next five minutes. Is there anything else we need to address?"

"Just one thing," the second officer said gravely. "I checked the cafeteria on my way over, and I found a girl bleeding out under the table. Lots of gunshot wounds. By the time I got over to her, it was too late. She was gone."


	4. Chapter 4

While all this was going on, Lincoln was still in his class, worried about what had happened to his sister. About fifteen minutes later, an officer walked into his classroom. He approached Lincoln with his calloused hands folded in front of him.

"Are you Lincoln Loud?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," said Lincoln. "Why? Is Lynn okay? Please, tell me she's okay."

The officer sighed and shook his head. "I'm so sorry I have to tell you this, but I'm afraid she isn't, Lincoln. We have just been informed that the identity of the shooter's victim is indeed your sister."

Lincoln immediately burst into tears, as the reality of the situation hit him at full force.

"My sister is g… g... g… gone? Why? How? This can't be real!"

"I'm sorry, Lincoln," said the officer. "By the time the paramedics arrived, she had passed on. I'd like you to know that she's in a better place now. Your parents will be here soon to pick you up."

The officer's response did nothing to console Lincoln. "Wh… Wh… Why would somebody this evil do something like this to her?!" he bawled. "I know we got in a lot of arguments and she bullied me at times, but she's protected me and loved me for so many years! "

Lincoln's mind started running through all the fondest memories he and Lynn shared, the first of which was from the past summer in which he and Lynn were at the gym. As he recalled, the two of them were minding their own business, when a couple of older boys - one tall, one short- approached them.

"Hey Lincoln, I dare ya to lift up this barbell," said the tall boy.

"Sure, I guess I'll do it," Lincoln said with a shrug, trying to play off the dare as no big deal.

But Lincoln's success came at a price; he had ripped his pants in the process, exposing his underwear.

"Hey Linky, still wearing bunny undies?" taunted the tall one.

"Uhh... I don't know?" squeaked Lincoln, turning bright red.

"Well, it sure does look like it, because I'm pretty sure I see bunnies on your boxers!"

"I see London, I see France, I see you have bunnies on your underpants!" sang the boy's shorter friend.

The scornful laughter of the two boys lit a fire in Lynn's heart, and she stomped across the gym to accost them.

"What did you say about my brother?!" she demanded.

"We're laughing at his bunny boxer shorts!" said the short one. "I mean, who still wears bunny underwear?"

" _He_ does," said Lynn. "And there's nothing wrong with that. So you punks better leave him alone!"

"Or what?" said the short one. "Or you'll bully us instead?"

Lynn stepped closer to them, cracking her knuckles. "Maybe I will."

She walked over to the tall one, seized his hands and twisted them around 180 degrees, causing him to screech in pain.

"H-hey! Let me go, you psycho!" he cried.

In response, Lynn just ramped up the pressure. "Say, 'pretty please with strawberry ice cream on top.'"

The boy just grimaced in response, which prompted Lynn to pull even harder, until his bones threatened to crack from the pressure.

"P- _pretty please with ice cream on top_!" he screamed.

" _Strawberry_ ice cream," corrected Lynn.

"Strawberry! Strawberry ice cream on top! _Just please let go of me_!"

With a self satisfied smile, Lynn released his hands and gave him a sharp push that sent him toppling down to the floor. The two boys, white with fear, ran away as fast as they could.

"You okay, Linc?" she asked, her expression softening as she turned back towards her brother.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Lincoln. "And thanks for sticking up for me. That was _really_ cool."

"Ah, no sweat," said Lynn, patting him on the back. "What are big sisters for?"


	5. Chapter 5

After thinking about the flashback to that summer, Lincoln started sobbing even harder than before, knowing he lost a sister who deeply cared for and loved him.

"You'll be okay, Lincoln," said the officer. "You have other people in your life who care about you and will support you for the years to come."

"I know, but Lynn was special," Lincoln said with a sniffle. "She was a sister that would go to extremes to get me out of embarrassing situations."

"Don't worry, I perfectly understand," said the officer. "I had a good friend who would always do that kind of stuff to cheer me up, 'til he moved away. I felt very miserable at the time, and while I still miss him very much today, I eventually got over it."

Lincoln gazed up into the officer's eyes? "Really, officer? You had someone who would do the same thing for you, too?"

"I sure did," said the officer. "I'd tell you more, but I think your mother just arrived to pick you up."

"O-oh! Thanks for telling me," said Lincoln. "And… thanks for talking to me."

"It was my pleasure, kid," said the officer. "Stay safe out there."

Lincoln walked to his mom's car, where she was still in tears trying to accept the reality that she lost her daughter today. As he approached the car, she reached into her purse and pulled out his stuffed companion, Bun-Bun.

"You… you brought Bun-Bun?" asked Lincoln, touched by the gesture.

"Yes, I did," said Rita. "I know he's always there for you when you're feeling sad."

"Thanks, mom," said Lincoln. "I know we may have fought and bullied each other in the past, but I…"

The floodgates opened up again. "I really, really miss Lynn," he whimpered, clutching Bun-Bun tight and letting his tears seep into its fur.

"Don't worry, Lincoln, I do too," said Rita. "You know, I still remember how you got Bun-Bun in the first place."

"Me too," said Lincoln. "But tell me again."

Rita took a second to dry her eyes and compose herself before granting his request. "You were about five years old," she said. "Lynn was seven. It was our first time taking you two to the carnival. Lynn really wanted to play darts so she could win this stuffed animal. She kept on begging me to play, until I eventually gave in and lent her a few bucks. She managed to win first try but she wanted to keep on playing so that she could give you Bun-Bun."

Lincoln's tears increased their flow as he recalled how overjoyed he felt when Lynn first handed him the stuffed animal. "I don't think I could ever give you up, Bun-Bun."

"There, there, honey," said Rita, taking notice that Lincoln's crying fit was worsening. "Just relax and you will feel better. I know it's very depressing that Lynn's gone, but always remember she will always be in your heart."

"O…okay, mom," Lincoln said, choking back a sob.

Once they got home, Rita and Lincoln went on the couch and started watching the news to see if Lynn's death had been reported. Unsurprisingly, it had.

"Right now, we have extremely tragic news coming from us right here at Royal Woods Middle School," said the anchor. The TV then cut to a field reporter standing outside the school.

"Today, tragedy struck at Royal Woods Junior High," said the reporter. "A student in a black trench coat shot two children, killing one and badly wounding the other. The former has been identified as middle school student Lynn Loud, Jr. The shooter, whose name has yet to be released, shot himself in the head once he was confronted by a policeman. Right now, we are speaking to a friend of Lynn's who has witnessed the shooting."

The camera then cut to a bawling Margo, her body wracked with sobs.

"It's true," she sobbed. "We were just minding our own business, when this freak in a trench coat walked up to us, a-and shot her. He tried to shoot me too, but I just barely got away. Lynn… Lynn was a great girl. She didn't deserve this at all."

Lincoln: Can I please go to my bedroom mom; I need free time to think.

Rita: Yeah, Lincoln. You can.

 **[Consider cutting/rewriting this section. It's unlikely that Lincoln would know about some random kid Lynn bullied, and the identity of the shooter isn't that important to the story anyway.]**

As, Lincoln walked upstairs to his bedroom, he was hit with another flashback, this one about the time Lynn took care of him when he was sick.

As he recalled, when he was about ten, he was stuck in bed with a bad fever that made him bedridden through the past few days. On one of those days, he awoke to find Lynn at his bedside.

"You awake, Lincoln?" asked Lynn.

"Wha… Yeah, I just woke up," muttered Lincoln, as he stirred from bed.

"I heard you were really sick today, so I decided to take care of you for right now."

Lincoln nodded. "I just puked a few hours ago and I still feel really bad."

"Did you clean yourself afterwards?" she asked.

"I puked in the trash can over there so I didn't need to," he said, pointing at the foul-smelling wastebasket by his bed.

"Ew," squeaked Lynn. "So anyways, I decided to bring you some soup and soda." She lifted up a tray with a steaming hot bowl and an ice-filled glass balanced atop it.

"Thanks," said Lincoln. "What type of soup? Chicken, beef, cream of onion?"

"It's tomato," Lynn said with a warm smile.

"Ooh, my favorite! Thanks!" said Lincoln, taking the tray from her and making sure not to spill a drop. As he did, Lynn couldn't help but notice that his stuffed companion was absent.

"Hey, where's Bun Bun?" she asked. "I don't see him."

"He's under my bed," said Lincoln. "I didn't want to get puke all over him."

"Oh, okay. Let me get him for you."

Lynn dove under Lincoln's bed and looked around for the bunny, coming across a variety of miscellaneous objects as she did.

"Why are your pajamas underneath here?" she called from underneath the bed.

"What are you talking about, Lynn?"

"I found some orange pajamas underneath the bed and I was wondering if these are your current pair."

Lincoln shook his head. "No, they're not."

"You know, for the guy that roams around in his undies, you're pretty self-conscious about what pajamas you wear," commented Lynn.

"I'm not embarrassed!" cried Lincoln.

"I'm just messing with you, Lincoln! Geez, I don't care about what you wear, unless it's really embarrassing or if you're naked."

A moment later, she emerged from under the bed, with Bun-Bun in hand. "Anyway, I found Bun Bun."

Lincoln smiled. "Thanks, Lynn. You're such a great help."

Lynn, wanting to give herself the pleasure of tucking Lincoln in, pulled the covers off of him - and was met with the sight of his fully naked upper body.

"So, you like sleeping shirtless now, huh?" she said with a smirk.

"Uhh… yeah?" Lincoln said meekly.

"You're in your underwear, aren't you?"

Lincoln nodded, blushing.

"I hope you're not wearing the bunny undies, at least."

"Don't worry, I'm not."

"Okay, good," said Lynn. "To be honest, though, I wouldn't have teased you if you did."

"Really?" Lincoln asked, showing a hint of skepticism.

"Of course not," said Lynn. "Not while you're sick. But don't tell the other sisters I said that! I don't want them to think I'm mushy."

Lincoln chuckled. "Oh, all right. If you insist."


	6. Chapter 6

That night, Lincoln collapsed face-first into bed, forcibly willing his body into slumber. As much as he missed Lynn, the events of the day left him thoroughly drained, and he knew he'd need plenty of sleep if he wanted to start the recovery process.

Unfortunately, his brain had other plans, as that night he was subjected to a dream that would undoubtedly stay with him for years to come.

 _"Lincoln…"_ called a mysterious voice. " _Lincoln, open your eyes."_

Lincoln opened his eyes, and was greeted with the sight of his older sister Lynn kneeling over him, wearing an expression more tender than he ever remembered her wearing. Overcome with relief and joy, Lincoln sprung up from the bed and locked Lynn in the tightest hug he could manage.

"Lynn!" he cried. "I… I missed you so much, Lynn!"

"I missed you too, Lincoln," said Lynn, maintaining a curiously solemn tone. "But… I can't stay long. I have to get going soon."

Lincoln's smile vanished without a trace. "But why? We've been apart for so long!"

"I know," said Lynn, letting her shoulders slump down. "The reason I came is that I have two last requests for you. Then I'll have to leave for good."

Tears started seeping out of Lincoln's eyes. "O-okay," he choked out, his voice trembling. "What are they?"

"First, I want you to give mom a hug for me," said Lynn. "I wish more than anything that I'd done it myself that morning, but now it's too late."

Lincoln nodded. "What else?"

"The second thing is that…"

Lynn leaned closer to Lincoln and clasped her hands together, with tears welling up in her wide, pleading eyes. "...I want you to keep sleeping with the bunny I helped you win. I know he means a lot to you."

"Bun-Bun?"

Lynn nodded. "I'm sorry I teased you about him. I'd take it all back if I could."

"It's okay, Lynn," whispered Lincoln. "I'll do both of those. But there's something I need to tell you before you go."

"What is it Lincoln?"

With waterfalls of tears streaming down his face, Lincoln leaned forward and locked Lynn in another hug, putting every ounce of his energy into it.

"I love you, Lynn."

As Lynn hugged him back, Lincoln felt her own tears trickling down his shoulder. "I love you too, Lincoln."

And so, the siblings gave each other one last hug, knowing it was the last time they would ever be together. The embrace was interrupted, however, when Lincoln heard a third voice cut through the darkness.

"Lincoln? Honey, what's wrong?"

Lincoln opened his eyes to see that Lynn had vanished. In her place, he saw a very worried-looking Rita bent over him.

 _A dream. It was all just a dream._

Remembering the promise he made to Lynn - which, in the moment, felt all too real - Lincoln sprung up and embraced his mother, with fresh tears staining his already moistened face.

"There, there honey," whispered Rita. "Mama's here. You were just having a nightmare."

Lincoln wasn't so sure he'd call what he experienced a nightmare, but he didn't really feel inclined to correct her. Instead, he just kept the embrace, letting her rock him back and forth and stroke his hair.

"I have to head off to bed. Is there anything else you need?"

It was then that Lincoln remembered the second promise he made to Lynn.

"Bun-Bun," he said meekly. "I want my Bun-Bun."

Rita nodded, picked Bun-Bun up off of his nightstand and tucked it into the crook of Lincoln's arm.

"There you go. Feel any better?"

Lincoln nodded, wiping his face dry as he snuggled up to his stuffed companion.

"Goodnight, Lincoln," she whispered, just before she walked out of the room. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mom."

The End.


End file.
